Rotary cutter



Feb. 7 1933.

L. L. CHONG ET AL ROTARY CUTTER Filed June 4. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS Jae L.(b0n ""2, :5

' BY S ATTORNEY 7, 1933. L. CHONG ET AL ROTARY CUTTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 1932 INVENTORS L00]: L. C '12017 (f Jue L. ([1012 I a x ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES LOOK L. cnono, J'UE L. cnonc, Ann SAM L. CHQNG, "or rsL'Erom'oAmromI-IA- PATENT orrlcr.

ROTARY CUTTER Application filed June 4,

. This invention relates to rotary ground working implements and particularly to one used to chop up asparagus roots such asis shown in the-co-pending application of Tony S. Miller and ourselves, Serial No. 611,840,

filed May .17, 1932. y

In order to insure the efficient cutting ac- .tion of the blades through the roots with a minimum of power we found it desirable toset the cutting edges of the blades so that they are disposed in transverse acute angles to the line of travel or so that they have a shearing action when moving through the ground with the rotation of the rotary 1mplement unit. We found however xthat 'if the blades were mounted so that they extended in a transverse horizontal plane or parallel to the axis of rotation, that the cutting edges of the blades at that end which are naturally advanced relative to the other end on account of the transverse acute angle at which such edges are disposed, wore .more

rapidly than at the other end and frequent resharpening was necessitated.

connection with their supports so that they are disposed at an outward acute angle to a tangent, in order that the blades will enter the ground with a chisel-like effect and thus blades and their supporting pads. The advanced ends of the blades under the above mounting conditions therefore were posi tioned so that they engaged the ground '35 through a longer circular path than the opof the cutting edge of the blade at an acute I angle to the line of travel is maintained, said cutting edge is disposed so that both ends, as well as all points in its length, are

disposed the same distance from the axis of rotation, or so that the cutting edge of the This is because the blades are mounted in 1932. Serial No. 615,384. a;

blade as a whole is parallel to said axis. The cutting edge ofthe blade at all points'in its length "therefore is engaged with the ground forthe same distance with the rotation of M the implement and wear of the cuttingedge of the blade is-e'ven throughout its length.

A further object of thefinvention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose "for which it is designed. m

' These objects we accomplish means of such'structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters'of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views: I

Fig. l is a fragmentary side elevation of the rotary unit showing the improved mounting of the blades in connection therewith.

Fig. 2' is :a front view of a standard end ablade when thecutting edge :of the blade is atqits lowest position relative to the :RXlS of rotation. M.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing theparts as viewed before the blade reaches said lowiest1p0siti0n.

Fig. 4 isa top plan view of'a blade-and -:standard.

30 relieve the drag on the back sides of the .5 is a fragmentary perspective: view' of a standard showing .a modified blade and mounting arrangement. 1 I

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the. drawings, :and particularly :at present to Figs. 1 to 4;, .the numeral 1 denotes .the shaft .of the rotary implement which :shaft extends transversely of the line of travel. The numeral Q-denotes one of the discs mounted on the shaft to which radially projecting blade mounting" standards 3 are attached. Projecting forwardly from the outer ends of the standards relative to thedirection of rotation of the unit are pads 4 on which the'bladeso are flatly supported and to which they are detachably securedby suitable meanssuch as shown in ourPatentNo. 1,816,210, dated July '28, 1 931. i I

The pads extend cross-wise of the standards ortransversely of the implement and are 1100 some distance in front of its pad and its cut-' tingled'geEgwhichis straight from end to end and which extends transversely of the implement, is disposed at an acute transverse angle to the line of travel. In this manner the blade as it passes through the ground has an eflicient shearing action on the roots etc. encountered therebv. One end A of the cutting edge is therefore advancedrelative to the the opposite end B, and if the pad is set on the standard at right angles thereto in a horizontal transverse plane or parallel to the shaft, said advanced end of the blade will therefore engage the ground a greater distance from the axis of rotation than the opposite end B. I As a consequence it will travel in the ground through a circular path of greater radius and length than said opposite end B, with excessive wearing of the blade at the end A. To counteract this objectionable feature each pad is set on its standard at an acute angle to a horizontal transverse plane as clearly shown in Fig. 3, so that the blade is disposed at a similar slope. The degree and direction of this transverse slope of the pad and blade is such relative to the angle of the cutting edge that the radial distance D from the axis of rotation to both ends A and B of the blade is the same. The cutting 1. In a rotary root cutting lmplement, a

rotary member movable along the ground,

and a: blade mounted on such member substantially tangent to the axis thereof and adapted to rotate therewith the blade having a straight cutting edge disposed at a transverse acute angleto the line-of travel of the implement, and the body of the'blade being set relative to the rotary member so that both ends of such cutting edge are equidistant from the axis of rotation of such member.

2. In a rotary root chopping implement,a rotary'member movable along the ground, a

support extending radially of such member, a pad mounted at the outer end of the support, and a blade fastened on the pad; the cutting edge of the blade from end to end belng disposed at a transverse acute angle to the line of travel of the implement, and N the ad being tilted at a transverse angle to the ong itudinal plane of the support to such a degree relative to the angle of the cutting edge of the blade as'to position both ends of such edge at points equidistant fromthe axis of rotation of the rotary member.

In testimony'whereof we aflix our signatures.

' LOOK L. CHONG.

JUE L. CHONG. SAML. CHONG.

The cutting edge of the blade throughout its lengthwill therefore remain in the ground for the same distance, insuring equal wear on the cutting edge at all points while at the same time the blade retains its angular setting and the desired shearing cutting action.

The same results are obtained with the arrangement shown in Fig. 5 wherein the pad 4a is set at a transverse right-angle to the pad or in a transverse horizontal plane parallel to the shaft. In this case the cutting edge of the blade 5a is maintained so that both ends are the same distance from the axis of rotation as before by bending the blade in front of the pad and toward one side downwardly, as shown at 6, so that the cutting edge of the blade is disposed on the same acute transverse angle to a transverse horizontal plane as if pad itself were thus angled, as in the first described type.

I From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that we have produced such a de- 

